


Alone Together

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bad Puns, Desert Island, Desert Island Fic, Flirting, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Islands, M/M, Stranded, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:32:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7943137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony are stranded on an undiscovered island after a mission took a sour turn. </p><p>They are thrown into a life or death situation, and must fight to find a way to survive. </p><p>Will anyone know to look for them, and will they be able to keep themselves alive in the time that it takes?</p><p> </p><p>Alone Together-Fall Out Boy-</p><p>"My heart is like a stallion-<br/>They love it more when it's broken..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Alright.... before anyone yells at me, I am well aware I'm trying to juggle three stories and college... but I just had to write this first chapter. I already have the other chapter for this story done, so the next update won't be too long.
> 
> This is about how Tony and Steve handle being forced together on an island of all things...

TONY POV

 

I hit the ice cold water, the immense weight of my suit immediately dragging me under the choppy waves. I instinctively gasp for air, although the water hasn't managed to breach my suit yet. Although it will... the newest threat of the week managed to take a swipe at me, damaging the suit and knocking me into the water. No big deal right? Just a few scratches and a little water... it shouldn't have been able to affect me...

Although something as trivial as cold water caused me to freeze, fear encasing me. It was the most pathetic time to have a panic attack, yet I've always had a very good streak at having very bad timing. 

I can feel myself sinking, the pressure of the water growing heavier and heavier. I feel as the water slowly crawls up my neck, and I want to scream, yet I'm still completely frozen, unable to even decipher JARVIS's panicked voice. The water touches my lips and I jerk my head back, sending the suit spiraling backwards. I reach out with my hands, trying to grab something, and then the screens go black. 

The water must have reached the control until for JARVIS... I'm alone... I'm ALONE... Everything's dark and I can't tell what's up and what's down. I reach out for someone, but no one's there... I'm all alone, just like I always am. 

Panic engulfs me just as the water does. I try to hold my breath, but my head hurts... I can't tell if my vision is going fading because everything's dark. The water is ice cold, and I feel my body going numb although I can't decipher whether that's from the water or lack of air... All I know is that there isn't any pain or loneliness in this dark... My head has stopped hurting, and I feel calm. It's almost the same effect that alcohol gives you, and I welcome the comforting darkness...

 

STEVE POV ((he's starting out explaining and/or remembering what happened up until the present moment. That's why it's in past tense))

"Stark's down. " 

The voice was so calm. The pilot of the aircraft was a newbie from SHIELD that rudely managed to announce the downfall of Iron Man so casually over the comms.

"What? Where?"

"Ocean. He was hit and fell into the water. He hasn't come back up." 

I didn't think. I dove. Out of the air craft, past the current beast that was slowly making its way closer to civilian ground. 

Me, Tony, and the pilot were sent to scout the thing out and Tony was to get a scan of the monster to see where it was from and what made it tick. 

The entire flight there, Tony was in his suit, refusing to ride in the aircraft. He kept making references over the comms, none of which I was able to catch although I wrote several down to inspect later. 

"Hey, Cap? "

"Yes, Tony?" 

"Look what I added to the suit. "

Oh boy... Here we go. 

I watched as Tony did a few loops before shooting a missile into the air. 

I panicked, as Tony started typing commands into the arm/keypad of his suit. 

Then, fireworks. 

The missile exploded into a replica of the American flag. 

"Like it? " His smirk was evident through his voice, and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes.

"Yeah, Stark... Nice to see you take protecting the public seriously. "

"You're welcome. Nice to get recognized. Although sarcasm wasn't necessary. I'll have you know that this missile would serve as a nice distraction and an even better introduction for you to burst through the nearest wall. Hey J? Hit the track. "

Then the comms were flooded with the old song from the 1940's where I did introductions to raise bonds for the army. 

I smiled. "Wow, Stark. You really had this one planned out didn't you?" 

"Of course. Always have to be prepared to entertain the Captain." 

I looked out the aircraft window to see Tony in the suit, doing a mock salute before giving me a thumbs up and diving back down. 

 

`````

 

We had made it to the beast, and Stark immediately circled it, scanning and relaying over the comms the highlights. 

Everything was fine, me keeping check with Tony, and Tony doing his job with far less quips and references then I expected, and the pilot keeping the aircraft up. 

Then it went to Hell with those two words. 'Stark's down'. I immediately rushed back to the window to see that yes, Tony was no where to be seen. 

"What? Where?" I was already grabbing my shield and a life jacket for Tony. 

"Ocean. He was hit and fell into the water. He hasn't come back up." I was already diving into the water, the cold shocking my body awake. I looked around, but couldn't make out much in the dark water. But there was one small blue light that was flickering... The arc reactor. I dove, frantically going deeper and deeper until I managed to wrap my hand around the suits arm. I lurched back towards the surface, the two hundred pound suit in tow. 

Once I breached the surface I gasped for air. I looked up to see the aircraft and watched in absolute horror as the pilot flew away. The comms were down because of the water, so I waved and waved, but he never came back. Shit... focus on Tony.

I jerked the suit's face plate off and saw Tony's eyes closed, his face relaxed and unresponsive. 

Not happening soldier... I reached into the suit, grasping the eject lever placed there after the battle of New York. The suit comes apart, and falls uselessly into the cold ocean. I put the jacket around Tony before trying to do a make shift CPR. 

Compressions were complicated, and if it wasn't for my super strength it wouldn't have done anything. After a few minutes, Tony started coughing, and I just watched, smiling as he spit out the water and just went limp in my arms. He was unconscious, but he was breathing... 

I placed him on my back, before swimming after the pilot. 

~~~~~~

Days. It took days to reach land. Stark was breathing but hadn't woken up. I was scared for him, but just kept swimming. 

I didn't allow myself to think about the possibility of there not being land. There had to be... And if not, I'm not dying without one hell of a fight. 

So I kept swimming. I was beyond tired, carrying myself and Tony for so long. I was pushing the serum past its limits, but I had to. I didn't have a choice. Our lives depended on it. 

I've been panting for who knows how long... forcing myself to keep going. Keep going. Get to land. Survive. 

I kept swimming... and swimming. Exhaustion ripped through me... I wanted to scream in agony, but I lacked the strength. Stark had a jacket, I could just let go... just die and hope he wakes up.   
But I could carry him a little further. And once I got there I could carry him just a little further. Always give more. Always do more. I won't let him down. Further.... Further... 

It was night. Full moon bouncing off the water, as I saw it. LAND. LAND. LANDLANDLANDLANDLANDLANDLAND.

I just kept going, wanting to sob in relief, as I slowly made our way to shore. 

It was already late afternoon the next day by the time we actually reached the shore. But I wasn't giving up now. Stark needed me. Tony needed me. He needed me to get him to shore. This is the reason his dad gave me the serum. Get to shore then I can rest... Then Tony will be safe. 

 

TONY POV

I crack my eyes open, feeling cold... wet... I see a blurry figure beside me, and I groan as I struggle to sit up

My head pounds, and I look down to see the arc reactor humming dully. 

"Wha- happen?" I mumble... fully taking a look at the large figure beside me. 

Steve. 

He's soaking wet and unconscious. He is laying on his back in the shade, eyes closed, mouth open, arms spread as if he just collapsed. 

Where are we? 

I take in the sand and water... The tropical trees and different plants start after a few dozen yards of white hot sand. 

I pull myself up using the help of a nearby palm tree. I notice I'm in the under garments I wear underneath the IronMan suit. Shit. Where's the suit? 

I remember being knocked into the ocean, panicking, sinking... 

Rogers rescued me? Why weren't we back in the air craft? And where the hell was my suit? 

Why was he so- shit. Did he carry us to this island? Was this an island? Were there other people here? 

How long have I been out?

My mind is splintering off into dozens of different directions, but I compromise with myself. I'll question Rogers once he wakes, but until then, water, food, shelter.

Water... water... I need to get a fire going to purify the water so as I won't get sick. Although Rogers wouldn't be affected by the bacteria... Fire... Fire... guess we'll have to go old school? I don't have any tech on me, and Rogers only has... well? Would it be awkward for me to check his pockets while he's asleep? Well yeah it would... Would he care? 

Okay new plan. Rogers needs to wake up and then we'll start the fire. I'll scout the place, see if there is other people and then gather wood... 

I grab Captain's shield and leave him a note in the sand saying I went for wood and to stay put. I leave a smiley face too, just to annoy him before venturing into the woods. 

~~~~~~

I manage to find quite a bit of dead wood lying on the ground, but the terrain is rough and covered in sticks and rocks and spiky things and my socks have already ripped through. Why didn't I wear shoes in the suit? This sucks. 

My feet have a few cuts on them, and are rubbed raw by the time I decide I can't carry anymore wood. So I start making my way back, toting a shield stocked high with dry fire wood. 

When I get back to camp, Rogers is still in a deep sleep, and suddenly a realization hits me. 

What if he isn't just asleep?! And why is this consideration just now crossing my mind?!

I drop the shield and the wood scatters across the cool sand protected from the sun by the large palm leaves. 

I rush to Steve's side and desperately check for a pulse. It didn't even occur to me that he might not be okay. He was always okay. Always. 

"Please don't be dead. Please... " I hold my breathe and wait, overly relieved when I feel the small thrum of his pulse under my calloused fingers. "Oh thank god..." 

He groans, and I remove my hands, awkwardly shuffling a few inches back. 

"Please tell me nobody kissed me. " He smiles up at me, and I laugh, shaking my head that no I didn't kiss him. 

"Oh yeah... About that, Tony... I, uh... I'll tell you later. " He suddenly looked embarrassed about something but I brushed it off. Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position, releasing a loud, pained groaned. 

"Oh!" I scrambled forward, helping support his weight and twist him around so he could lean against the tree despite his complaints. 

"Thanks, Tony." He smiled sheepishly at me, and I don't know why but my face turned red. 

"No problem, Cap. So... wanna tell me how we got here?" I shuffle back over the the discarded shield and start stacking the wood back onto it. 

"Yeah, sure. Well uh, you were hit by the thing-... oh no Tony! We never completed the mission! S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't have the information on the creature, and it's still headed towards civilization!" He suddenly looked as if someone had just killed his puppy in front of him. 

"Please tell me that is not what you're most concerned about right now." I look back up at him, pausing from stacking the gathered wood to wait for his answer. 

"Well... I suppose the others will handle it. Do you think they'll come for us? Or know where we are? Do our locators still work?" He's back in Captain America mode, sheepish smiles gone, replaced by the blank, firm, authoritative face of a military leader in action.

"First, my tracker is in the suit and yours was in your shield and belt. Both of which you still have so I'll yes. If we're in range, then they should be able to track us down. I'll check them in just a minute. Now I want to know where the suit is, how we got here, and where is the aircraft we were in? " I finish stacking the wood and shuffle back to sit in front of him, hugging my knees to my chest. 

"Okay, so like I said, you were hit. Landed in the water and never came back up. I dove in and found you and the aircraft had turned and left. So-"

"Wait, it left? As in it just turned and left..." I stared at him in disbelief. Was this planned? But they wouldn't have known I'd get hit... Maybe they were planning something, but that was just a good opportunity? What was the name of the pilot? I didn't look at his file, but I remember JARVIS telling me his name while he was reviewing me of he highlights since I skipped the actual mission meeting. 

"Why did you skip that meeting?" 

"Was I talking out loud?" I look back up at him, and he's calm but I can see the weariness in his eyes. Why is he so tired? What would it take to make a super soldier that tired? 

"You always do. I think it might be a habit of when you think aloud so JARVIS can record it in your notes." He looks me over while he's talking, as if searching for injury.

It makes me absurdly uncomfortable to have someone that has paid such close attention and drawn such careful conclusions about my habits. "H-have you been profiling me?" I shift uncomfortably under his gaze, but try to not let him notice my discomfort.

"Not necessarily. Just picked up on it while I was drawing in your lab. But back to the story... after the pilot left, I realized I'd have to carry you for who knows how long, so I got you out of the suit, and uh... did CPR and-" He mumbles the last part, as if hoping I wouldn't notice, and I jump on the opportunity to make him uncomfortable.

"Oh so you did kiss me? " I can't help but smirk as Steve's face turns a bright red, and he just forces himself to give me a stern look before continuing his story. 

"Yeah, well then I put the life jacket on you and carried you here. I set you down then laid down to sleep. I don't know how long we were asleep, but we traveled for the rest of that day and night and the next day and night and then the next day we got here. " He seemed to look over the pile of wood balanced on his shield, before digging in his pockets and pulling out all he had. 

"Wait... you swam... for four days straight... carrying me?" I talk slow... as if I'm trying to understand it myself. 

"Yeah, well I would take breaks and float on my back... the material you made the suit out of floats by itself, so it helped." He sets his five different knives down on the sand in front of me, along with four small explosives ruined by the water, and a microchip I designed that knocks out any database or program within seconds. He then peels off his gloves and tosses them on top of the pile. 

"Yeah well... that's insane. Impossible actually. You... Wow. I was unconscious the whole time? "

He nods, and I scoot forward to look at the little chip. It's wet, but not ruined. Not that it matters anyways. 

"Yeah you were. Why didn't you come outta the water? "

I was turning the chip over in my hands, but stop at his question. "Umm... hey, can we go back to the part where you were more concerned about me skipping a meeting then the reason our pilot ditched us? " 

"What? N-no Tony. Answer the question." His voice is light and there's even a hint of a smile at my attempt at subject change. 

I fake a groan at his persistence, but he does deserve to know that I decided to have a mental breakdown and that is why we're stranded on some island in the middle of fucking no where. 

"I... I had a panic attack. The water... It was like Afghanistan... and the water started filling the prototype... like after AIM blew my house in Malibu off the side of a cliff... " I realize that I haven't been able to look him in the eye, and I bit my lip hard at the simple mistake of revealing my own weakness. "Never mind it. But you must be tired, so you go back to sleep and I'll get a fire started and start boiling some water, okay?" I stand up, trying to avoid an argument, but he stands up too. 

"I-I'm fine. And this is kinda just the first place I dropped us... You wanna find a better place to stay first? " He picks up all of his knives and chips and explosives and puts them back into his suit's belt. Then he picks up the shield filled with wood. I notice the way he walks... as if he's in pain. 

"Um... You okay?" I walk towards him, pointing the knife at him while raising a suspicious eyebrow. 

"What? Oh yeah... I'm fine." He doesn't look at me, but instead starts walking a random direction. 

The sun is going down, so it's not too hot as we start making our way down the island. 

"... it's your suit isn't it?" I walk faster so I can pivot and start walking backwards in front of him. 

"Wha-... God, Tony. You don't miss a thing, do you?" He looks almost disappointed that I found out. As if me creating a suit that chaffs him after he's spent multiple days in salt water then baking for who knows how long in the sun would offend me. 

"Nope. Genius... remember?" I smirk, but I'm not satisfied with my response. "Besides, you're walking as if you actually do have a stick up your ass. So either my original hypothesis about the stick is correct, or your suit is chaffing you. It's fine, Rogers. Take it off. You do have the under suit like I have to keep the chaffing from... happening." I stop walking backwards, and he almost runs into me. He has an embarrassed yet indignant look on his face, as if daring me to continue. "You don't wear anything under the suit... do you?" I flash a cheeky grin, poking him in the chest. "You go commando, commander Rogers?" I fake a salute, keeping my face straight until he looks so utterly lost and confused I break and start laughing. I'm laughing so hard I stumble a few steps back, tripping over a fallen palm tree and land on my ass. 

Now we're both laughing, and it's fun! Lighthearted good fun that I haven't had in forever. 

"S-so... you could still take off the top since it's night? In all honesty... I wouldn't care if you decided to wear your centuries old birthday suit..." I smirk mercilessly up at him from where I sit in the sand as his face turns all shades of red. 

"Zip it, Stark." 

I pretend to zip my lips and toss the key, still sitting in the sand, feet still over the log that tripped me. He sets down the shield of wood and turns around. 

"Now unzip me."

I scramble to my feet, and may or may not have tripped over the shield stacked carefully with wood. The wood goes flying, and I crash back to the ground, face inches from Roger's feet. 

"You okay, Stark?" I see his combat boots turn around, and I prop my head on my elbows and look up at him guiltily as he sees the scattered wood. 

"Who? Me? Oh, I'm fine... No thanks to your shield. It attacked me." I give him a mock shocked expression, and he laughs. 

"Is that the story you're going with?" He kneels down, and it looks as if he was about to touch my face, but he pulls back. 

"Yuuuup. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Get it? 'Stick'ing to it? " I smile up at him, and he laughs again before collecting the wood.

"'Wood' you cut it out, Stark?" He flashes a brilliant smile, and I just stare for a few seconds before regaining my wits.

"Oh so he does have a sense of humor!" I pick myself up, brushing of the sand before helping him re-stack the wood. After we're done he turns back around, and I carefully step over the shield to stand behind him.

I search for the super thin, dark blue zipper that was hidden down the back of the suit. It was Cleverly designed to look like another seam down the back of the suit, and I have to marvel my own work for a few seconds before gently pulling the zipper down and undoing the top of his uniform. 

He unclasps his belt, and holds it while I fiddle around his waist to find the next dark blue zipper hidden under the empty gun holsters. I unzip them, and hold his belt while he peels off the bullet-proof uniform.

After he finishes reattaching his belt, I pick up his discarded uniform top and hang it over my shoulder before walking back the direction we were going.

"Thanks, Tony." He picks up the shield and follows after me, his long strides helping him to catch up in no time. 

"No problem, Cap. So once we find a spot to build a shelter... I'll start trying to make a fire and you gather materials and scout around a little? Look for food and fresh water. Then we can build the shelter thing... maybe a tree house type thing... or like a teepee? Except without the cloth... We'd have to use smaller sticks... Maybe we could just make a ladder or something and tie ourselves in a tree? Not efficient, but it'd get us off the ground... "

"Tony?" 

"Yeah?"

"How much do you actually know about survival? Not that you've said anything that made me think that you didn't, I was just wondering if you know exactly what to do... Like what plants you can or can't eat and how to skin an animal and what parts you can or can't eat of certain animals..." 

"Well I know that you have to boil water before you drink it to purify it. Probably need to do the same to anything we eat, but I haven't researched much on the different plants or animals... How about you, Cap?"

"I know about some plants and animals... Thor made me watch a few seasons of those survival type shows." 

I hum in agreement, still looking for a place to settle camp among the line of the beach and the palm trees. 

After awhile, the sun is almost completely below the horizon. 

"Okay. This is stupid. We should've settled for camp a long time ago. We won't be able to see to make the fire or find the materials we need." I'm itching in aggravation. We should have just stayed where we were and started our work there. Explore tomorrow. Was it my idea to find shelter first? Okay why the hell would he decide to follow my lead now? When I have no clue what I'm doing?

I stop walking, and after a few more steps he about faces to meet my eye. 

"Yeah well maybe we can just sleep on the sand? We can start the fire and boil water and search tomorrow. Let's get some sleep, then start fresh tomorrow. " He's using his commander voice, the one you don't mess with. Well, unless your me... 

"Yeah and get eaten alive by mosquitos or whatever the hell could crawl out of the woods or ocean? " 

"You got a better plan that doesn't involve us stumbling through the woods in the dark to get separated and lost?" He sets down the shield of wood, and crosses his arms, jaw clenched. 

I hold my hands up in retreat. "Okay... it's not ideal, but we can rough it for tonight. Although..." I walk the few feet to the edge of the woods and find some type of fern with large, smooth leaves. The leaves are about the length of my arms and wide as my elbow to the tip of my middle finger. "Gimme a knife." He rolls his eyes but obeys, and I tuck his jacket under my arm before cutting several huge leaves off with my knife. Steve watches as I collect them and follows as I walk back towards the beach. 

I lay two down to serve as makeshift pillows then divide the rest up giving Rogers several extra large leaves to use as blankets. 

"Okay so we can use these to lay our heads on so sand won't get in our eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Then we can cover with these to keep the bugs off? Or attempt to. Besides... it might offer a little warmth. " I offer him his portion of leaves, along with his suit's top. 

He accepts both, nodding his thanks before we both lay down, covering our feet first then placing leaf after leaf until our entire bodies are covered with the plant. 

"Good night, Tony." 

I can't help but laugh hearing Cap's voice from under layers of tropical leaves. 

"G-good night." I try to stop laughing at the ridiculousness of our sleeping arrangement before laying back and trying to sleep.

 

~~~~~~

It's hard to sleep when you're freezing. My teeth are chattering and I am shivering, my body trying to preserve warmth as the temperature steadily drops. 

"Tony? Are you cold?" 

I flinch at his voice, not expecting him to still be awake. "I-I'm f-f-f-fine..." I curse inwardly as my teeth chatter through my speech. 

I hear a deep, disapproving sigh before Steve replies. "You know it does you no good trying to tough it out. If you get sick you're basically good as dead. You hear me? If you're cold, tell me. "

I want to retort with a reference from Frozen... 'The cold never bothered me anyways." Maybe sing a few lyrics to him to make him not so serious right now, but he's right. I can't get sick. 

"F-f-f-fine.. I'm f-f-fucking free-eezing!!!" I hear him shuffle towards me, and then his arms are wrapped around me, his warmth incasing my shaking body. 

I sigh in relief, twisting to face him and then burying my face in his chest. 

"Oh God. I've never loved the super soldier serum this much." I close my eyes, and absently hear him rearranging the leaves on top of us. 

It's not even a full ten minutes before I feel myself drifting off to sleep, enveloped in warmth and safety. 

 

STEVE POV

"Tony? Are you cold?" I mentally kick myself at the stupid question. Of course he's cold! He's been shivering for awhile and his teeth are chattering. If I peak from between the leaves I'm under I can even see him curled in a little ball, his shivering body shaking all the leaves on top of him. 

"I-I'm f-f-f-fine..." I hear his small voice from under the leaves, and I give an impatient sigh at his stubbornness. Now was not the time to try and tough it out because of his ego.

"You know it does you no good trying to tough it out. If you get sick you're basically good as dead. You hear me? If you're cold, tell me. " My voice is harsher then I meant it, but it seems to be what he needed because he answers truthfully.

"F-f-f-fine.. I'm f-f-fucking free-eezing!!!" 

I wince at the sound of his voice breaking because of a shiver before I drag my little pile of leaves over to him and pull him closer. 

Super Soldier serum makes my body temperature higher then normal, so it would only make sense for him to...cuddle...? I guess...? For survival purposes. 

A few seconds after I pull him towards me, with his back pressed against my chest I can feel him relax, shifting to where he's facing me before pressing himself against me. I wrap my arms around his shivering form, rubbing his arms to warm them up. 

"Oh God. I've never loved the super soldier serum this much." I smile and rearrange the leaves on top of us, before settling back in around him. 

He falls asleep soon after, and I can't help but to just stare at the dark green leaves, listening to his breathing and feeling the hum of the arc reactor against me.


	2. The Struggle for Unity, Fire, and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Struggle for Unity, Fire, and Comfort....

STEVE POV 

I am the first one to wake up, as usual... and as I pull the leaves off me, I am greeted with the picturesque view of the sun rising over the clear water. I sigh contentedly, and as my lungs inhale, I feel an unfamiliar weight on my chest. I glance down to see the one and only Tony Stark cuddled against me. I pause, remembering the previous day's events, and can't help but to smile to myself. Why am I smiling? This is a very horrible situation... why am I smiling? Because Tony finally lowered his guard around one of us, the avengers, in a life or death situation? That should in no way make me happy, yet I can't keep the slight smile off my face. 

Tony's very smart, and I'm a super soldier. We're gonna make it out. Besides, there's a tracker in the shield. Help is on the way. However, we will still need to make precautions for our own survival in case there is a slight delay with the rescue attempt. I need to figure out what all we need to accomplish today, so when Tony wakes up, we will already be prepared to get an early start. 

We need to make a fire for sure, so we can have clean water that Tony can drink, and so it can help keep him warm at nights. The smoke shall also serve to keep the bugs off of us, or so Tony said, and be a sign of where we are if anyone was to come looking.

We also need a better shelter for the next night, where we can have the fire and Tony can make whatever it was he was planning to do to keep us off the ground. 

Also, we need to scout the island to make sure it's uninhabited. If not, and there is civilization, then we can ask the locals for help. 

I feel Tony stir, and I just awkwardly hold him as he wakes up. Surprisingly enough, he doesn't immediately pull away, instead he shifts into a more comfortable position and just relaxes there. Face still buried in my chest. 

"Mornin' Cap." He yawns, still laying on my chest, and I don't know whether to be flattered or nervous. 

"Morning, Tony." I stay lying down, and we both just lay in comfortable silence, watching the sunrise over the ocean waves. 

"Um... Thank you... for last night. I woulda been an ice cube come morning. " He sounds almost bashful, as if me keeping him warm last night was the nicest thing... well... Maybe to him it was. I wonder how Tony's used to being treated... Thinking back, he usually spends most of his time in the lab making newer and better weapons for the team and updating technology for Stark Industries. Hours and hours of work, and how often does any one give him anything in return? 

Can you even give Tony something that he doesn't already have? Maybe that's just it though... He's so independent he's not used to accepting help. 

"No problem, Tony. We're in this together." I smile, seeing the beautiful orange color streaking across the sky in marvelous waves of bright, natural color. I wish I had my sketch book... Maybe a few water paints...

"I want coffee." 

I can't hold back a laugh, sitting up and looking at Tony's pout. "I'm sure you do... I don't know how you're gonna live without it. " 

"It's my only sustenance... forget food... we need to find a Starbucks. They're everywhere... there has to be one somewhere..." Tony's smiling, pretending to look around for the popular coffee shop. 

"So what's our first priority for today? " Tony's smile drops as he focuses on our problem, and I almost ache to see his smile again... He just seems so much younger and healthier when he's happy.

"Water. We have to have water today. That requires fire. We have the wood, I think I can start a fire, and we have to find a source of fresh water. " He writes a few things in the sand, but I can't keep up with the odd symbols... for all I know it's the formula for an airplane that runs off of coconut oil.

"Why can't we just use water from the ocean?" I lean back, feeling the sun warm my bare chest as Tony immediately switches to another formula, writing that down before skipping back to the other. 

(((((Tony nerds out for a minute... If you get bored just skip to the smiley faces below to continue with the story...))))))

"Because it would require desalination." He keeps writing in the sand, but looks up and sees that I'm obviously not following. 

"We would have to distillate the water to separate the salt from it, and we don't have the right equipment. All we have is your shield, and so we can only boil water to kill all the organisms and bacteria, purifying the fresh water. Salt is too dense, and wouldn't be able to be separated by just boiling. If you were trying to purify salt water, you would need a pan with a lid and a glass of water, but we only have your shield to work with. Desalination would require us to get a glass of saltwater and set the glass in the pot with the lid on. The fire would cause a physical reaction with the H2O and the hydrogen bonds would break, separating the molecules from one another, turning the liquid water to steam. Although the salt is too dense to be combined with water when it's in the gaseous form, leaving it in the bottom of the cup. The pure steam would catch on the lid of the pan, where it would be cool enough for the water to condense, the bonds reforming, and would drip into the bottom of the pan, not the cup, boiling any other impurities out, while keeping it separate from the the salt." Tony says this as if it is child play, and it probably is for him. I nod, trying to connect his words to what he's writing it the sand. 

"So... fresh water would be different how?" I feel stupid for asking, but Tony doesn't tease for once, and instead points to a part of his formula. 

"Fresh water doesn't have salt in it, or not as much as seawater... Salt water would make us sick, so we'd have to remove it. Fresh water only has to be purified of microorganisms and bacteria... If we boil it, then, for the most part, we'll be drinking clean water..." He's pointing at something that's comparing... 100° C or 212° F at MSL... whatever MSL means... and then there's a list of information he jotted off the side. 

Bacteria- 102° F can't reproduce -120° F most bacteria cannot survive

Water's boiling temperature- 100° C - 212° F

I realize that he's writing all this down in an effort to explain it to me, not for himself. He obviously knows everything he's writing, and I smile at him, thanking him for the explanation, and asking him about the MSL part, which he explains to be the average sea level, and that there's a myth about you having to change the heating degree based on altitude.

"So basically... Boiling the water wouldn't remove the salt... so we have to find water without salt?" I toss a look at Tony, hoping I'm correct in my assumption... and I am not at all disappointed when Tony gives me a bright and contagious smile, as if he was proud. 

:)))))))))))))) - okay Tony explains desalination and the differences of purifying fresh vs salt water... continuing.... sorry I'm a nerd :)))))))))))))

We sit in the rising sun talking, mostly Tony, before I bear the bad news that we need to go ahead and start our day. 

"Alright, so I'll start the fire... You try and find some sturdy wood that we can build a shelter with and look for food and water. Don't eat anything though... Just in case." 

"I know, Tony. I'm not stupid." I smile at him, but he just avoids my eyes, mumbling something about him just wanting to be sure before he stands. I follow suit, picking up my belt and the top to my uniform that I used as a pillow.

"Can I borrow one of your knives? Oh, and a shoelace." 

I give him a questioning look, but hand over the knife from my belt before leaning down and unlacing my right boot. I hand him the string, and he smiles, before we both make our way back to the wooded area.

"Thanks. Okay so do you just wanna do camp here? Or should we keep looking? " Tony questions as he turns and looks at me for guidance. I find myself desperately trying to say the most efficient thing so as not to disappoint the man in front of me. 

"Do you think you'd be capable of using these surroundings to support our shelter?" I look around at the tropical plants, and spot an almost blank patch of shade, with dry dirt and large ferns separating it from the sand. 

"There." Tony points to the same place I was considering, and we both make our way to it, me carrying our shield-... Wait, since when did it become our shield? But that's exactly what it was. I wasn't carrying the shield to symbolize America, or even just freedom in general... I was carrying the shield stacked with wood for Tony... So that he wouldn't have to, and because he needs the wood the shield is carrying. 

Once in our future camp, I set the shield down, thinking about how the last thing I want to do right now is to leave a barefoot Tony, clad in only his Iron Man under-suit, sitting in the dirt, working to make a fire alone. But he needs me to find fresh water... and materials for a shelter. I dump the wood unto the ground where Tony instructs before clipping my shield to my back and starting my trek through the darker part of the island, wandering in a straight line and praying I'd be able to find my way back. If not, maybe Tony will have been able to start the fire so I could just follow the smoke. I throw one last look over my shoulder, and see a focused Tony, ready to work. 

 

 

POV TONY

Bow Drill. That is the fire-starting technique I am going with. 

Find a sturdy stick, and a flat, exceptionally dry piece of flat wood. Find another long stick that is partially bending in a small arch, and tie one end of the shoestring to each end... making a bow-looking contraption. 

Then, twist the string around the sturdy stick and set the end of the stick on the flat wood. I carve a small indention in the flat wood, and set everything up, using a rock to hold the top of the stick down to where it is constantly pressing into the flat wood. I pull the bow back and forth and back and forth and back and... this looked much easier on television... and back and forth and God how long was this gonna take?

~~~~~~

Starting a fire is frustrating. Very fucking frustrating and very tiring. I had multiple sparks, but then the fucking wind could just kill it. I hated life. 

But I keep trying, remembering that the Captain, or Steve... swam for DAYS... trying to carry me to safety... I can suck the fuck up and start a fire. 

So I continue. On and on and on and on... I have no idea how long it takes, but my arms are burning with the effort after a good little while has passed. I am tempted to take a break... maybe see if Steve can manage it once he gets back, but I just don't feel comfortable with dishing all the work off on him.

First off, he wouldn't say no, he'd just accept the task and finish it diligently, not even expecting a thanks or a reward. Second, his metabolism burns four times faster then mine, so he is probably already half starving to death... 

Damn it. What if he passes out in the fucking woods? Idiot... why did I let him wander off alone? We should have stayed together... 

I can't dish all the work on Steve. We need all the effort and help we can get. So I can start this fire. For Steve. Then afterwards, we'll find food... and I'll make him eat it. 

Just keep going. Back and forth, ect. ect. My arm is sore, I'm tired, but I'm also stubborn. Starting a fire with these menial materials is another task I have yet to accomplish, but I shall finish it today. Right now. Keep. Going. Stark.

Finally... FINALLY... I get a good spark, and manage to get it in the pile of dry leaves and dead, thin wood. I gently blow, beyond relieved when I see a flame. I quickly add more timber, and set the little pile of smoking leaves on top of another pile of leaves before surrounding it with wood, praying it wouldn't die.

I watch anxiously as the flame starts to die down... before a stick catches, and then... after several more minutes of me freaking out... a large flame erupts from the fire. 

From the Fire. There is Fire. I did it! Holy shit I actually did it! I laugh, a large smile on my face, before getting up to go collect more wood for the 'large' (four inches tall) fire.

~~~~~~~

I have a strong fire now, and two different piles of fire wood by the time the sun is directly above me. Noon. Where is Steve? 

I decide to stay and wait, hoping that he hadn't found trouble. 

I go back to the beach and pick up the large leaves from the previous night, laying them around our camp so we won't be sitting in the dirt. Maybe we can use more large leaves to top our shelter in an effort to keep the rain out? 

Snap. 

What was that? 

I look up, scanning the surroundings... hearing something come closer... Please be Steve. Please be Steve. PleasebeStevePleasebeStevePleasebeSteve....

I see a blonde figure poke his head around a tree, and I smile, releasing a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. He's carrying multiple large canes that he obviously had to cut down, because they all look very fresh. 

"Will these work?" He looks at me almost nervously, as if he's afraid I'll reject them. 

"Perfect, actually." I pause, seeing that he's expecting something more. "Good job, and thanks. " I smile, and so does he. He looks so happy, as if me saying he did good meant the world to him. Which obviously isn't even close to accurate. 

He sets the canes down and looks at the fire. "Wow, Tony. Nice. Was it hard to do?" 

I consider lying, saying that no, I'm a genius and creating fire was more like a game then a challenge... but I surprise myself when I admit the truth.

"Yeah, I wasn't even sure if I could pull it off at all, but I guess I got lucky... Oh and here's your shoelace back. It might be a little worn down in the middle though."

He laughs, accepting the shoelace and I stand to help him lay the cane down. 

"Okay, so I've been thinking a lot about the different shelter designs-"

"Hey, Tony?" The soldier interrupts me with an almost quiet voice, and I can feel the tension in the air change as his voice takes on a serious note.

"Yeah, Cap?" 

"Do you-... Do you think we're going to be found?" 

Damn. Straight to the point huh?

"I-... I don't know Captain. But right now we just need to focus on making it through tonight... right? And besides, your shield does have a locator. I just don't know whether or not we're in range of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite." I don't meet his eye, instead opting to run my fingers up and down the sturdy cane. 

He doesn't reply, and simply nods before getting the shield off of his back, holding it in his two dirty hands. 

He turns the shield over as if looking for the tracker, and I can hear the sigh in relief as he finds it. 

"We're fine. Even if we aren't in range, they must know our last know whereabouts and they'll expand from there. Besides, we're two national icons. They have to find us... right?" Why does Steve sound so uncertain? It hurts me a little to hear so much uncertainty in the man's voice.

"Right. Absolutely. No doubt. Besides, JARVIS started running calculations as soon as the suit was down. They're probably already on their way, Steve. "

"Yeah. Yeah... you're right." 

"Aren't I always? " I flash a smirk up at the taller man, and he offers a smile back before reaching over and ruffling my hair. I blink up at him in confusion, and he seems fearful for a few seconds, freezing as he attempts to withdraw his hand. He awkwardly turns away, his face reddening, but I never take my eyes off of him. 

"I'm sorr-"

"Don't be. It was okay." I smile at the supersoldier, feeling relieved myself when his shoulders relax and he smiles back. 

"We're gonna be okay." The soldier's voice was much calmer and optimistic. "We're gonna be okay. Now, let's start this legendary fort you claim you can make."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for those who supported the story! 
> 
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> 
> Next chapter has several challenges that our heroes will have to face, but for you?
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> Your challenge is to figure out the story behind the pilot. Anyone who gets it right gets the next chapter dedicated to them!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Ideas for what you think should happen or what you would want me to include are all welcome! 
> 
> I'm out! ~ Midnightdam56 ~ ;)


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